West Virginia heat wave risk
Kanawha County has the highest heat wave risk in West Virginia, scoring 91.7 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across West Virginia have decreased 69% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | 91.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 2 | Cabell County | 91.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Wayne County | 91.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Putnam County | 84.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | Lincoln County | 73 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Berkeley County | 71.8 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 7 | Mason County | 69.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Wood County | 67.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Logan County | 66.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Mingo County | 66.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 11 | Jefferson County | 61.1 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 12 | Boone County | 60.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Jackson County | 58.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Monongalia County | 41.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Harrison County | 39.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Roane County | 38.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Marion County | 37.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Morgan County | 34.8 | Very Low | 14 |
| 19 | Mineral County | 33.3 | Very Low | 9 |
| 20 | Ohio County | 32.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Marshall County | 31.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Brooke County | 27.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Hancock County | 27.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Hampshire County | 26.8 | Very Low | 9 |
| 25 | Wetzel County | 23 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Clay County | 22.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Braxton County | 21.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Tyler County | 21.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Hardy County | 20.7 | Very Low | 9 |
| 30 | Lewis County | 19.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Pleasants County | 19.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Calhoun County | 19.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Ritchie County | 18.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Wirt County | 18.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Preston County | 17.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Grant County | 17 | Very Low | 9 |
| 37 | Wyoming County | 14.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Gilmer County | 14.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Doddridge County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Raleigh County | 13.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Taylor County | 13.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | McDowell County | 12.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Fayette County | 11.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Upshur County | 11 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Barbour County | 9.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Nicholas County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Pendleton County | 3.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Tucker County | 2.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Mercer County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Summers County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Greenbrier County | 2.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Webster County | 2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Randolph County | 1.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | Monroe County | 1.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Pocahontas County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in West Virginia?
Kanawha County, WV has the highest heat wave risk in West Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 91.7 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").
What causes heat wave risk in West Virginia?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.